NAB Backs CBS Wants FCC To End News Distortion Probe

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has taken a significant step in response to a news distortion complaint filed against CBS by urging the FCC to dismiss it.

The complaint, initiated by the Center for American Rights (CAR), a conservative organization, centers on CBS's editing of a "60 Minutes" interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, aired in October 2024. The controversy stems from CBS airing two different responses from Harris to the same question about Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—one on "Face the Nation" and another on "60 Minutes"—which CAR alleges constitutes deliberate news distortion, violating FCC rules on broadcasters’ public interest obligations.

On Tuesday, the NAB, led by Chief Legal Officer Rick Kaplan, filed a 22-page document with the FCC, arguing that the complaint lacks merit and should be dismissed. 

The NAB contends that the complaint fails to establish a prima facie case for news distortion, as it does not provide evidence that CBS’s editing was intended to deliberately mislead viewers about a significant event, nor does it show that such actions were directed by the licensee’s management—both of which are longstanding FCC requirements for a news distortion violation. 

The NAB further asserts that even if a valid claim existed, the FCC lacks congressional authority to enforce a news distortion policy in this manner, and such enforcement would likely infringe on First Amendment rights, which protect editorial discretion in broadcasting.

The NAB’s involvement is notable because it typically does not intervene in FCC proceedings targeting a single broadcaster. However, in this case, it appears motivated by broader concerns about regulatory overreach and the precedent this investigation could set for the broadcasting industry. 

The filing reflects a pushback against what the NAB sees as an attempt to politicize FCC oversight, especially under the leadership of Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed FCC chair who revived the complaint in early 2025 after it had been dismissed by his predecessor, Jessica Rosenworcel, in January. Rosenworcel had argued that the FCC should not act as "speech police," a stance the NAB echoes in its defense of journalistic freedom.

This situation has unfolded amid a politically charged atmosphere. The initial complaint gained traction after former President Donald Trump and his campaign criticized CBS’s editing, with Trump even filing a $20 billion lawsuit against the network over the same issue.